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Always carry spare batteries! They're an easy way to score points with your girlfriend when her GPS dies 500 feet from the cache.

Lear to use the track feature on your GPS. Waypointing the car will get you back to the car, but backtracking will get you back out the way you came in (One method often works much better than the other, depending on the situation).

"Found it" log means you FOUND the cache - or at least remnants of one - not just the spot where it was.

"Didn't find it" log means you DIDN'T find it. Whether because you just didn't look in the right place, or you found where it was and it was gone and may be missing, you still didn't find it! Cache owners ned this information to properly maintain their cache.

Remember that the GPSr will usually get you within 30 feet of the cache in ideal conditions (no tree cover, clear day, accurate coords from the hider). When you get close stop staring at that little screen and look for what may seem out of place.

This is probably THE BEST hint for any cacher. I've always had an EXCELLENT sense of direction, but when you're been watching an arrow on GPSR for 20 minutes, you absolutely lose all sense of where you are.

Now I ALWAYS waypoint the car when I start, and it's always a fast trip back.
I also waypoint the car when I go hunting. It's nice to know the fastest way back when you either bag your deer or decide it's time to give p because it's almost dark.

My hints

1. As others have said, always mark your car as a waypoint....
2. Bring a bottle of water with you -- especially on hot days. You may not think you'll need it, but if you get way out in the woods for a longer period of time than you expected, you'll be thankful you have it.
3. Cache with a buddy, if possible. It's easy to slip and fall and get hurt...trust me on this one. Also, believe it or not, it's easy to get disoriented and perhaps lost in the woods -- even with a GPS in your hand.